The Role of the Environment in Adventure and Outdoor Education

Authors

Todd Miner

Print Reference

pp. 6-8

Abstract

Outdoor education is all about the outdoors, the natural environment, right? That certainly used to be the case, as students were immersed in the out of doors and spent time learning about natural history, ecology, or environmental issues.

Today, however, that common sense assumption has been changing to the point that some now consider "outdoor education" an outdated or imprecise label. Increasingly, we see programs identify themselves either as adventure education or environmental education. Even those programs that still use the term outdoor education or recreation in their titles are focusing more on leadership, teambuilding, and personal growth, as opposed to studying or experiencing the natural world. The question then arises, is there a role for environmental awareness and education in adventure or outdoor education?

Recommended Citation

Todd Miner (2003) "The Role of the Environment in Adventure and Outdoor Education," Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education: Vol. 13: Iss. 4, Article 4.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.cortland.edu/taproot/vol13/iss4/4